Why Don’t I See 4K UHD in My Home Theater?

Smart Tips for a Home Theater Installation That Works

You’ve heard it before: 4K Ultra HD is the big AV upgrade you need if you want to see every detail of your favorite movies and sports. But if you’ve taken the DIY route when building your Greeley, CO home theater installation, you probably aren’t seeing your content in its full resolution. Why? Because achieving true 4K UHD is a lot harder than you think. That’s why we’re here to help. If you want to know the secret to stunning 4K, then just keep reading.

It seems pretty easy to get 4K UHD in your home theater right? Just plug in the appropriate projector and enjoy. But it’s not that simple; before you can view on a display, you need the right source.

The source is anything that’s playing your video content. That could be a connected cable box, a Wi-Fi dongle on your TV, a Blu-ray player or anything else that plays video.

Many homeowners will overlook the AV chain during their installations and just get one device that’s marked 4K. Everything from the source to the display has to be capable of playing 4K content.

Reason 2: You Didn’t Upgrade Your Network

When we say everything in your AV chain, we mean it. Remember, a chain isn’t just the individual components, but also the network you use to connect them.

If you’re using outdated cables for your network, you probably need to upgrade it to see 4K content.

Streaming 4K content through standard HDMI cabling is like quadrupling the traffic on a two-lane highway. To keep everything moving smoothly, you’ll have to add a few more lanes.

That means investing in HDMI 2.0, HDBaseT or fiber-optic cabling. And if you want to stream 4K content anywhere in your house other than your home theater, you’ll need to find a way to run those cables within walls.

Reason 3: There’s Not Enough 4K Content Yet

So this one might not be your fault. While the AV industry has fully embraced the 4K revolution, that doesn’t mean all changes have happened over night.

You can download digital 4K movies and TV shows, stream 4K content from Netflix and Hulu and purchase 4K Blu-rays. But not everything is available in the resolution just yet.

A big question on everyone’s mind at this time of the year is whether or not NFL games are broadcast in 4K. The short answer is no. Most local affiliates of CBS and FOX aren’t capable of that just yet.

But 4K displays frequently offer plenty of upscaling features, so even if you’re not seeing full Ultra HD resolution, you’re still seeing the best-looking game possible in your home.

Plus, the NFL has already started striving to make 4K broadcasts a reality. You don’t want to be caught off guard when NFL Network makes the change.

You want to know the easiest way to achieve full 4K Ultra HD in your home theater installation? It’s free, it’s simple and all it takes is one click.